U.S. patent number 5,306,158 [Application Number 08/045,195] was granted by the patent office on 1994-04-26 for connector for circuit board.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Yazaki Corporation. Invention is credited to Takayoshi Endo, Shigemitsu Inaba, Satoshi Yamada.
United States Patent |
5,306,158 |
Endo , et al. |
April 26, 1994 |
Connector for circuit board
Abstract
A connector for circuit board has a guide case provided on the
base wall thereof, which has openings for exposing terminal
conductors of a circuit board inserted therein and guide ribs for
leading insertion of spring terminal of another connector and of
which the edge portion is tapered. Thereby the terminal connecting
portion of the circuit board may be assembled without a shift in
position and it is possible to keep a secure electrical connection
of the two connectors.
Inventors: |
Endo; Takayoshi (Shizuoka,
JP), Inaba; Shigemitsu (Shizuoka, JP),
Yamada; Satoshi (Shizuoka, JP) |
Assignee: |
Yazaki Corporation
(JP)
|
Family
ID: |
12105665 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/045,195 |
Filed: |
April 13, 1993 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
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Apr 13, 1992 [JP] |
|
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4-23261 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/59;
439/62 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
12/721 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R 009/09 () |
Field of
Search: |
;439/59,62,64,76 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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|
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3706065 |
December 1972 |
Knitter et al. |
5156553 |
October 1992 |
Katumata et al. |
|
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Desmond; Eugene F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Venable, Baetjer, Howard &
Civiletti
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A circuit board connector for electrically connecting at least
one terminal conductor of a circuit board to a respective spring
terminal of a complementary connector with which the circuit board
is to be mated, said circuit board connector comprising:
a connector housing body, said housing body including a base wall
having an opening for receiving at least one terminal conductor of
a circuit board; and
a guide case connected to said base wall adjacent said opening of
said base wall, said guide case having at least one slot for
receiving the terminal conductor of the circuit board, at least one
terminal-exposing opening for exposing the terminal conductor, and
at least one guide rib for guiding the terminal conductor into
electrical connection with a spring terminal of a complementary
connector.
2. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
guide case has a tapered distal end.
3. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
guide case extends substaintially perpendicularly from said base
wall.
4. A circuit connector according to claim 3, wherein said at least
one rib extends substantially perpendicularly from said base wall
adjacent to said at least one terminal-exposing opening of said
guide case.
5. A circuit board connector according to claim 2, wherein said
guide case has a tapered edge portion at a distal end thereof and
said at elast one rib extends from said opening of said base wall
to said tpaered edge portion.
6. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
guide case includes a plurality of said ribs and a plurality of
said terminal-exposing openings, each said terminal-exposing
opening being positioned between respective ones of said ribs.
7. A circuit board connector according to claim 6, wherein said
ribs and said terminal-exposing openings of said guide case extend
substantially perpendicularly from said base wall.
8. A circuit board connector according to claim7, wherein said
guide case includes a tapered edge portion at a distal end
thereof.
9. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
circuit board connector comprises a plastic material.
10. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
connector housing body includes a connector fitting chamber for
receiving the complementary connector and into which said guide
case extends.
11. A circuit board connector according to claim 1, wherein said
guide case includes two side walls and upper and lower surface
extending between said two side walls, said two side walls and said
upper and lower surfaces extending substantially perpendicularly
from said base wall.
12. A circuit board connector according to claim 11, wherein said
guide case includes a plurality of said terminal-exposing openings,
at least one of said terminal-exposing openings being provided in
said upper surface of said guide case, and at least one of said
terminal-exposing openings being provided in said lower surface of
said guide case.
13. A circuit board connector according to claim 12, wherein said
guide case includes a plurality of said ribs, at least one of said
ribs being provided on said upper surface of said guide case, and
at least one of said ribs being provided on said lower surface of
said guide case.
14. A circuit board connector according to claim 11, wherein said
guide case includes a tapered edge portion at a distal end of said
guide case, said tapered edge portion extending between said side
walls.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connectors for circuit board and,
more particularly, relates to a connector for circuit board capable
of assembling the terminal connecting portion of a circuit board in
a stable manner without a shift in position thereof and also
capable of being securely connected to spring terminal with which
it is to be mated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional connector for circuit board is formed into a
box-like shape and a slit-like opening is provided on the base wall
thereof, so that a flat plate-like terminal connecting portion
continued from a circuit board is inserted into such an opening.
Provided in parallel on the terminal connecting portion are a
plurality of conductor terminals which are continued from a circuit
conductor printed on the surface of the circuit board. A slit-like
notch corresponding to the flat plate-like terminal connecting
portion is provided on a connector with which the circuit board
connector is to be mated and, in the notch portion, a spring
terminal having resilient contacting pieces which are to contact
the conductor terminals of the terminal connecting portion. By
fitting these two connectors together, the terminal connecting
portion on the circuit board side and the spring terminal are
brought into contact with each other to be electrically connected.
Such connector for circuit board has been disclosed in Japanese
Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No.JP-U-1-161583(1989).
In the conventional circuit board connector, however, the terminal
connecting portion tends to be easily shifted vertically and/or
horizontally in position within the connector housing, causing such
disadvantages as the occurrence of a bad contact with the spring
terminal to be mated therewith or, in worst case, a short circuit.
Further, there is also another problem that a large inserting force
is necessary when the edge at the distal end of the terminal
connecting portion and the spring terminal are abutted against each
other, whereby the conductor terminals on the terminal connecting
portion may be turned over.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above described problems, it is an object of the
present invention to provide a connector for circuit board by which
a secure electrical connection may be achieved without causing a
shift in position of the terminal connecting portion of the circuit
board and, at the same time, a smooth insertion of the connector is
possible and the conductor terminal thereof is not caused to be
turned over.
To this end, a connector for circuit board is provided in
accordance with the present invention, formed of a plastic material
into a box-like shape having a base wall at a midway point thereof
perpendicularly to the direction along which terminals are to be
connected, and thereby electrically connecting terminal conductors
of the circuit board and spring terminals on the side to be mated
therewith, wherein the connector has a guide case provided on the
base wall, having openings for causing the terminal conductors of
the circuit board to be exposed and guide ribs for guiding
insertion of the spring terminal on the side to be mated therewith.
It is preferable that the guide case provided on the connector's
base wall tapers toward the spring terminal, at the edge portion
thereof toward its distal end from the openings for exposing the
terminal conductor.
According to such a connector for circuit board of the present
invention, when inserted into the guide case from the openings of
the connector housing, the circuit board is stably positioned and
vertical and horizontal shift thereof is prevented. Further, the
spring terminal on the side to be mated therewith is led to the
terminal conductor exposing openings as it is guided by the guide
ribs of the guide case and at the same time its shift in position
with respect to a left and right direction thereof is prevented by
the guide case, thereby it may be kept in a secure electrical
contact with the terminal conductor. In addition, since the edge
portion forming the free end of the guide case tapers toward the
direction facing the spring terminal, the spring terminal may be
smoothly introduced without causing an increase in the inserting
force and/or turning over of the terminal conductor.
The objects, advantages and novel characteristics of the present
invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the
circuit board connector according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along A--A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front view as seen along the arrow B of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion indicated by
C showing the state after inserting the terminal conductor of the
circuit board into the guide case of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the state before fitting
the connector with spring terminal to the circuit board connector
of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section showing the state after fitting to
each other the two connectors of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional circuit
board connector and another connector to be mated therewith.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, a connector 1 for circuit board according to
the present invention is formed into a box-like shape of a plastic
material and includes: a circuit board 2 to be inserted into a
connector housing body 4; and a cover 3 by which the circuit board
2 is fixed to the housing body 4 with a setscrew. On a base wall 5
provided at some midway portion of the housing body 4, an opening 7
into which a terminal connecting portion 6 of the circuit board 2
is inserted is provided and a guide case 10 for inserting the
terminal connecting portion 6 is raised integrally from the base
wall 5 toward a front end opening 9 of a connector fitting chamber
8.
The guide case 10, as shown in FIG. 2, has a hollow 11 continuing
from the inserting opening 7, which is substantially identical in
its width and height with the circuit board terminal connecting
portion 6 and it has a plurality of exposing openings 14
corresponding to printed terminal conductors 13 of the terminal
connecting portion 6, provided in parallel on both the upper and
lower surfaces between the two side walls 12,12 as shown in FIG. 1.
In addition, it has guide ribs 16 provided thereon for separating
the adjacent exposing openings from each other. These guide ribs
are provided to guide a spring terminal 15 of a connector to be
mated therewith. On an end linking portion 17 which comprises the
free end of the guide case 10 and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 links
the guide ribs 16 across the two side walls 12,12, an abutting
surface 17a for abutting against the distal end 6a of the terminal
connecting portion is formed internally of the linking portion 17
while the outside of the linking portion 17 tapers to form a sloped
guide surface 17b which corresponds to the spring terminal 15 of
the connector to be mated therewith.
The terminal connecting portion 6 of the circuit board is stably
inserted, as shown in FIG. 4, into the guide case 10 without a play
in vertical and horizontal direction thereof so as to expose the
terminal conductors 13 from the exposing openings 14, and the
distal end 6a of the terminal connecting portion is caused to abut
against the abutting surface 17a so that the surfaces of the
terminal conductors 13 are crossed thereat in a manner continuing
to the sloped guide surface 17b. In addition to the fact as a
matter of course that the terminal connecting portion 6 is stably
positioned within the guide case 10, a resilient contacting piece
15a of the spring terminal 15 of the connector to be mated
therewith is thus smoothly guided to the exposing opening 14 while
sliding on the sloped guide surface 17b and is positioned by the
guide ribs 16 without play in the left and right direction thereof.
Therefore, a secure electrical connection is possible by a small
inserting force on the other connector.
Shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is the course of connecting the circuit
board connector 1 to the other connector 21. The other connector 21
has a pair of spring terminals 15 corresponding to the terminal
connecting portion 6 of the circuit board 2. A notch 23 for
insertion corresponding to the guide case 10 is provided on a
housing 22 of the other connector 21, resilient contacting pieces
15a of the pair of spring terminals 15 being projected within the
notch 23 in a manner opposing to each other. Further, a lock
projection 25 to be engaged with a lock arm 24 provided on the
circuit board connector 1 is provided on the outer wall of the
housing 22. As the two connectors fitted to each other, the
resilient contacting piece 15a of the spring terminal 15 is caused
to slide as shown in FIG. 6 on the surface of the terminal
conductor 13 exposed at the exposing opening 14, along the sloped
guide surface 17b at the distal end of the guide case 10, so that
the lock arm 24 and the lock projection 25 are engaged with each
other and the two connectors are completely fitted to each other.
Here, as a matter of course, the resilient contacting piece 15a is
positioned by the guide ribs 16 so as to prevent a short circuit
with an adjacent terminal conductor 13.
In a conventional circuit board connector 31, as shown in FIG. 7, a
terminal connecting portion 37 of a printed circuit board 36 is
inserted from a slit-like opening 35 provided on a base wall 34 of
a housing 33. A plurality of conductor terminals 39 continuing to
circuit conductor 38 printed on the surface of the circuit board 36
are provided in parallel on the terminal connecting portion 37.
Further, on a connector 32 with which the circuit board connector
31 is to be mated, a slit-like notch 40 corresponding to the
terminal connecting portion 37 is provided, where spring terminals
41 having resilient contacting pieces 41a for contacting the
conductor terminal 39 of the terminal connecting portion 37 are
arranged internally thereon. When the two connectors 31 and 32 are
fitted to each other, the terminal connecting portion 37 is brought
into contact with the spring terminal 41 to effect an electrical
connection thereof.
In such a conventional circuit board connector, however, the
terminal connecting portion 37 tends to be easily shifted
vertically and/or horizontally in position within the connector
housing 33, causing such disadvantages as the occurrence of a bad
contact with the spring terminal 41 to be mated therewith or, in
worst case, a short circuit. Further, there is also another problem
that a large inserting force is necessary when the edge at the
distal end of the terminal connecting portion 37 and the spring
terminal 41 are abutted against each other, whereby the conductor
terminals 39 on the terminal connecting portion 37 may be turned
over.
According to the connector for circuit board of the present
invention, since the terminal connecting portion of a circuit board
is positioned by a guide case provided on the connector housing, a
shift in position vertically and/or horizontally thereof does not
occur, eliminating the problems of a bad contact with the terminal
of a connector to be mated therewith and of a short circuit.
Further, since the terminal of the connector to be mated therewith
is guided in a manner of sliding contact to the sloped guide
portion of the tapered edge of the guide case, it may be smoothly
inserted and connection by a small inserting force is possible. As
a result, the possibility of turning over of the conductor terminal
of the circuit board connector may also be eliminated.
Many different embodiments of the present invention may be
constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention. It should be understood that the present
invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described in
this specification, and is only limited in the appended claims.
* * * * *